Thank You, Dude on AM1350 in Pueblo

This guy on the radio is discussing the Patriot Way, as it has been the subject of much debate lately. He is not even a Pat's fan, but is contesting the claims that the Patriot Way is dead and gone. He's saying: “The Patriot Way? What, you mean WINNING? Is that the Patriot way? Because they’re the winningest team in the NFL in the past decade? The Patriot way is winning with these unknown guys SOMEHOW. The Patriot Way is that you get arrested, you’re OUT. Patriots don’t do drugs in college. Patriots aren’t out getting injured in fights in strip clubs. The Patriot Way is NOT Tebowmania, it’s Tom Brady, who hasn't said one word about the loss of his favorite receiver.” It goes on and on but I’m just gonna sit here and beam a minute, and bask in the glow of my epiphany that despite the trades this off season, we’re gonna pull through. And as he’s going on and on about what the Patriot Way is to him, I am comforted in the way that a well-written sermon may comfort a Christian in need. I feel the fuzzy glow of winningness. The warmth of the Patriot Way radiates within me once again. Patriots walk through the fire, they don’t get burned by it. So thank you, whoever you are, guy on the Pueblo AM station that I can barely hear through the static of the aging radio and the clattering of the impact printers behind me. Guy whose voice is calling me through the ringing phone and annoying office chitchat. YOU have restored my faith in my team.

Anakin, You're Going Down a Path I Can't Follow

I've never been a "fair weather fan" of the Patriots- but to be fair, the weather has ALWAYS been fair in New England. Even when we're not winning, we're still never really losing. I can always count on them to be a strong playoff team, and the people that hate them only hate because they wish they were that good. I can be proud of my team, and hecklers can be silenced quickly with fact. This off-season however, I've been forced into a corner with mouth agape and soul aching, able to do nothing but wonder: What the bloody hell are they thinking? Few pairing in the NFL were as magically synched as Tom Brady and Wes Welker. The Supercouple were unstoppable together, their brains seamlessly weaving plays up and down the field for record holding stats. So they decided not to re-sign Welker, and instead let him go to the Broncos to play under my secondmost hated enemy- Peyton Manning. Why would they hurt me in this way? I lamented for weeks the loss of my favorite Patriot. The hurt is still ebbing within my poor broken football heart. My DubDub....signed to the team I've sworn to despise since being exiled to this awful expanse of misery. Top that off with losing Danny Woodhead, tiny missile extraordinnaire....and I thought things couldn't get worse. Oh, but they got worse. Much, MUCH, worse. With the announcement that Tim Tebow is being signed, the bottom caved out of my pain and fandom is spiraling downward uncontrollably. I have hated Tim Tebow and everything about him since first hearing his name. A schmeh performance, quickly followed by a media explosion. Really, is that all it takes to get Denver excited now? An OK player with a gimmick? Soon there were t-shirts, memes, and the vomit inducing mass amounts of "Tebowing." I seethed every time I heard his overhyped name. And now, they're bringing him to New England. To MY team. To MY boys, where this ridiculous attention whore surely does NOT belong. I tried to forget what I'd heard. I tried to ignore it. I tried to look at it as though he's a lost puppy and we're the good guys for adopting him so he can be trained properly- but that wont make him any less Tebow. And it won't make his name taste any better when i venomously spit it out. After hearing my maniacal raving on the matter, Nighthawk offered this: "I wouldnt be so quick to write this off. 1-Belichick(as much as I hate to admit it) seems to be ahead of the power curve in most respects. 2-Tebow has been working out since the draft with renowned quarterback's coach Steve Clarkson who says he's managed to fix Tebow's mechanics 2a-This was also signed off on by quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke 3-hellmushamouthamuthfuckasingingscreamin HALLELUJAH GOAT 4-He's shed 20+ pounds and more in football shape 5-you know old man brady will get hurt at some point and you'll see him, so prepare for it now." ~~ Note that point 3 was in reference to a different part of the conversation~~ EVEN IF he does well, EVEN IF the team can still function after losing vital players...he's still Tebow. The LAST person on EARTH that deserves to be a Patriot. Why are they doing this to me? Are they testing my loyalty by removing everything I love about the team and adding someone I need a stronger word than hate to describe? One thing is for sure- While I'm not giving up on my Pats, my Ravens and Eagles jerseys will be heavy in the rotation this season.